Have you noticed that your legs quickly start to feel numb? And then you have to knead them for a long and unpleasant way?
Do your legs often swell and hurt for no apparent reason?
Maybe your skin on your legs is covered with an irritating network of blood vessels?
At least one answer yes - and you are at risk. You most likely have varicose veins in the lower limbs. Due to this disease, the veins increase, and this already leads to a violation of blood flow: part of the blood passes from deep to superficial vessels.
There are even disappointing statistics on this score. According to it, in developed countries, 30% of women and 10% of men suffer from the disease. And these are just the ones that have reached the doctors. As you can imagine, the numbers are actually much higher, especially among people over 50.
Varicose veins begin with mild discomfort and do not cause serious problems. This is how clever it is. Because of "such nonsense" I don't want to go to the doctor, and the disease, meanwhile, is progressing. The skin gradually darkens, blood vessels swell like cords, and even trophic ulcers appear. Blood clots appear in the affected veins, which subsequently enter other organs and disrupt blood circulation in them. As a result, a lethal outcome is possible.
Have you ever thought you could die from simple varicose veins?
People don't think about this. And it would be worth it.
After all, all this is easy to avoid - you just need to consult a phlebologist in time. He will work out a detailed complex treatment program, and exercise will play an important place in it.
Let's face it, not all types of workouts are equally beneficial. Some exercises will relieve venous pain, while others will seriously worsen your condition. Until urgent hospitalization.
Agree, it is worth distinguishing one from the other.
In this article we will tell you in detail about the effective treatment of varicose veins by means of gymnastics.
But wait, you might panic soon. Maybe you don't have varicose veins at all. Now let's compare your situation with the main signs of varicose veins.
How to recognize varicose veins, even if it is only at the beginning
Some of the signs are visible to the naked eye, others can only be perceived. Let's start with the external manifestation.
There are four main ones:
- Spider webs of blood vessels appear on the skin, most often red, blue or purple.
- The veins swell a lot - it looks like a string stretched under the skin.
- Brown spots appear on the lower legs.
- The legs swell in the evening.
Another group of symptoms is not visible externally, but it causes discomfort:
- Cramps and burning in the legs.
- Feeling of heaviness and pain.
- Itching near a distended vein.
- Severe pain after standing or sitting for a long time.
As you can see, varicose veins manifest themselves in different ways. But even if you don't suffer from cramps and pains, this is no reason to delay your visit to the doctor. The longer you wait, the more the disease progresses. Someday, medical care will not be a choice but an urgent need.
Therefore, if you have found yourself with some of the signs of varicose veins in the legs, contact a phlebologist immediately.
But what if you can't go to the doctor in the near future? And the consequences of varicose veins scare you. Or cramps, burning, pain and heaviness in the legs have caused you so much that you already want to climb the wall. We will tell you how to help you in such a situation.
The discomfort of varicose veins will lessen if you follow these 7 proven tips
Let's talk about the less: these techniques do not give an instant effect. Although we would really like it. But at least they gradually reduce the discomfort of varicose veins. Here are 7 tips:
- Exercise as often as possible. . . Any exercise is good for blood circulation. Except maybe heavy weight lifting and running. But we are anticipating ourselves.
- Wear compression stockings. . . It supports the walls of blood vessels and relieves pressure on them. Swelling and tension decrease, legs relax.
- Don't sit or stand in one place for a long time - walk every hour.This will put additional stress on the leg veins and prevent blood from stagnating. If you stand while you work, try sitting regularly for a few minutes. With your legs raised. If you sit for a long time, get up and walk for at least a few minutes every hour so that your legs pump blood to your heart. The same goes for road trips - stop every 45-60 minutes for a short walk.
- Do not stand near open flames or hot radiators.This impairs blood circulation.
- Eat less salty foods. . . Salt in the body interferes with the circulation of fluid.
- Take a relaxing bath at the beginning of the day, not at the end. . . And it is better to do without it altogether.
- Do not sleep while sitting. . . In this position, blood circulation is difficult. Place your legs horizontally to reduce stress on the vessels.
Remember, even strictly adhering to our recommendations will not cure you of varicose veins. Contact a phlebologist - this is the only way to get rid of diseased vessels forever.
The doctor will tell you about the next steps: sometimes he is taking medication, sometimes a painless and quick operation, but always the treatment is accompanied by a change in lifestyle and exercise. We just talked about lifestyle. Now we show you the most effective exercises.
These exercises relieve the symptoms of varicose veins, slow down their development and prevent complications.
The expansion of blood vessels is largely due to blood stagnation. Therapeutic leg exercises for varicose veins and edema help lower blood pressure and maintain blood circulation. It also improves the tone of the venous walls, so that even with an increase in pressure, the vessels do not expand.
The choice of exercise depends on the stage of the disease. But in any case, follow the motto "it is better to walk and lie down than sit and stand".
Walking, running, cycling and swimming are all beneficial. The easiest way to walk is to engage the calf muscles, improving blood circulation. Change your position often and raise your legs.
If your legs have not yet been entangled with thick varicose veins and only the first signs of the disease are visible, the following actions will be useful to you:
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Stand on your toes, then slowly lower your heels until they touch the floor. Stand on tiptoe again and repeat the exercise. |
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Lift your left leg and move it, as if describing an eight. Repeat with the right foot. |
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He marches in place and vigorously waves his arms. Raise your knees as high as possible, up to waist height. |
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Stand up straight and stretch your arms out in front of you. Sit down slowly. Make sure your knees don't go over the edge of your feet. |
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Sit down and put your hands behind the back of the chair. Raise your legs towards your torso, then extend them forward. |
Your actions, in fact, aim to improve blood circulation in the lower limbs.
Now let's take a look at footwork - this is an elementary exercise and does not require a lot of effort and a lot of time.
Here's how it's done:
- Lie down or sit with your feet above your knees.
- Use your fingertips like a brush and draw a circle in the air. Don't move your whole leg, just your ankle.
- Pull the sock towards you to the limit. You will feel heat in the calf muscle.
- Stretch your toes and lower your heels by moving your calf muscles.
- Turn your feet, first outward, then towards each other.
- Repeat the exercise several times.
You don't need special equipment for such activities. Sit on your favorite sofa, lift your legs and exercise your joints. Do not forget to do exercises for varicose veins regularly and thus you can easily improve blood circulation.
We have an even more effective set of workouts - with it you will stretch the muscles and joints not only of the legs, but also of other parts of the body. But this will take longer to find. If that's not possible, stop at the previous exercises. If you can carve out extra minutes, it turns out, do the ones described above and more this complex.
However, it stimulates blood circulation throughout the body, not just in the legs.
Activities for the neck and head:
- We make circular movements with the head: 10 in one direction and 10 in the other. Move slowly, feel your neck muscles working.
- We pull the chin to the chest 3-4 times, then pull the back of the head back, the same 3-4 times. Even slowly and carefully.
Shoulder and arm exercises:
- We make circular movements with the shoulders forward and then back. We move the shoulders slowly, we pull the muscles.
- We straighten our arms and make circular movements. You don't have to shake them like a windmill. Maintain a speed of 2 rpm. Do not hold your breath.
Exercises for the lower back:
- Put your hands on the belt. Rotate your lower back all the way to one side and then the other side 10 times.
- Lean back and forth. Keep your feet in one place.
Leg Activities:Do 10 squats slowly. Additional weight cannot be used.
Courses for printing:
- Lie on your back and move your legs like pedaling: exercise with a bicycle.
- Perform the twist while lying down.
We completely forgot to talk about sports. But this is asked of us more often. The most rewarding sport for you is swimming. When immersed in water, the pressure in the circulatory system returns to normal. Swimming is good not only for the heart, but also for the immune and nervous systems. It also strengthens the leg muscles.
And another sport? Is it possible, for example, to run?
Not all exercises are good for blood vessels. Let's move on to the ones that can do you serious harm.
What exercises kill the whole result of varicose vein treatment
Let's say you are the ideal patient. Follow all the doctor's orders: take medications, wear compression underwear, change your lifestyle. Symptoms of the disease gradually disappear. You rejoice, the doctor rejoices.
And then you think, why not consolidate the result with regular training? And in order to completely forget about varicose veins and train your legs, you decide to squat with a good load.
Bad idea. Now all the work is thrown away. Your blood vessels will expand even more than before.
What's up?
There are a number of exercises that increase the load on the veins and destroy them if the vascular walls are weakened:
- Strength exercises.
- Weighted squats.
- Prolonged use of the exercise bike.
- Jump high and long.
- Running on a hard surface.
No amount of treatment will help if you keep running or lifting weights regularly at the gym. Therefore, don't tempt fate.
5 powerful accelerators of your varicose vein recovery
Yes, they are on the agenda. We have already talked about some of them. But trust me, they are really important and worth repeating.
If you've already contacted a phlebologist and started vascular treatment, these 5 tips will help you regain your health faster:
- Do not sit or stand in the same position for long periods of time. It is especially dangerous to cross your legs: this interferes with blood circulation.
- Do the recommended exercises regularly, walk more, and wear comfortable shoes.
- Use a doctor-selected compression hosiery.
- Track your weight. In obese people, the load on the venous system increases.
- After performing the exercises, lie on your back and place your feet against the wall so that they are above your head. This will allow the blood to drain from the legs.
But this is not a panacea. Again, these recommendations only help in conjunction with treatment. Without the help of a doctor, you will not be able to cope with the disease.
By the way, do you remember we talked about the symptoms of varicose veins? Let's say you found them. But only a phlebologist can make an accurate diagnosis. Remember, treatment begins with a correct diagnosis.
Where to get diagnosed with varicose veins
The accuracy of the diagnosis of varicose veins of the lower extremities depends on the equipment of the clinic. While examining patients, doctors do duplex ultrasound angioscanning. It is a quick and painless method of examining superficial and deep vessels.
The doctor clearly sees the problem area of the veins and obstacles to the movement of blood. He quickly identifies weakened venous valves.
The study allows the phlebologist to obtain accurate information about the vessels and to draw up a detailed treatment plan.
But diagnostics are just the beginning. Every patient needs treatment first. It is important who will lead it and on what equipment.